Plus & Minus (2022)

amazing until it wasn't

plot: i was so in love with this show when i started watching. it truly is a lovely cast and concept and the two main couples were so sweet. however this bl falls into the trap of ruining it's progress by adding unnecessary conflict. i basically switched off at that point. it made my favourite character go to my least favourite.

acting: overall loved the acting and chemistry despite zheng qi lei leaving much to be desired at some points.

OST: this is a nitpick but i do wish it wasn't used as often as it is. the song became very annoying when nearing the end of the show.

Leggi di Più

Hard one to rate

Well, first things first, I'm sad I haven't watched this series earlier! It was on my to watch list before it even aired, but then I didn't know if I should watch it or not, because of the comments I read on social media, so I was delaying watching it until last night ?

I really dom't know how to rate this drama, I both liked and disliked it ?

Liked:
The chemistry between Max and Cheng Hao was TOP NOTCH, I really really liked their acting! And because they did an amazing job, I loved their characters!
I loved all the cute/good things, moments and details this drama gave us, both with couples and the side characters.
It was a cute and refreshing drama to watch, wow I can't stop thinking about CTS and FLK (okay idk if I should put CZS&FLG or CZS&FLK so don't come at me ?) these two made ma all happy and giggly through the series ? All their scenes were really good! ?

Disliked:
Now the hard part...
First of all I don't know what to think about *THAT ONE EPISODE*
I can kinda understand why what happened in that episode had to happen, you know, sometimes we prioritize the happiness of other's insted of our own happiness, but if by what we're choosing, none of us is happy... than that's definitely not a good option ? so personally I didn't like that episode, if they really had to make it that way, they could've make it a little different/better.
Now the second main couple... I'll be honest, I haven't watched Matt's other dramas so I can't say he's a bad actor! But I just think that this role wasn't suiting for him.
It's nice how we got this type of a father-daughter story, it's not something we can see often in this concept, it's supposed to be mature, but it wasn't portrayed right (just my opinion) and I think 2nd couple's story was a little boring and longer than it should've been... I'll be honest again, I watched some of their scenes, but I also skipped some of their scenes...
The "WHY DID THIS HAPPEN" episode and 2nd couple made me go from "I absolutely love this drama" to "now what? do I like it or no?"

So, without that one episode and unnecessary moments that 2nd couple had, I could've easily rated this drama 9/10 or even 10/10 (just my taste ?‍♀️)

But I'll give it an 8/10, because in the end it is a good drama with some flaws ?
I'm giving it a rating like this, because, if you just skip the unnecessary parts, it's really good!

Leggi di Più

Clean and simple

I really enjoyed this! It’s super easy watch that I think could easily be a comfort watch.

The plot isn’t super complicated or anything, it’s really just a best friends to lovers, unrequited to requited love story. I liked the fact that they got together pretty early and the subsequent storyline followed their challenges.

There’s a super unnecessary breakup but after they get back together they give the viewer enough time to enjoy the sweetness again.

I hate the OST. If I hear “you’re my rabbit” one my time I’m committing a war crime.

This show was literally like a Taiwanese BL reunion lol. We had the leads from Be Loved In House: I Do, one of the leads from History 4, and the leads from MODC reuniting lol. I’m sure there were some others as well that I missed. I don’t know what strings they had to pull to get them all together but kudos. The MODC reunion made me tear up lol (this is the second show they’ve reappeared in together).

The leads have great chemistry. I liked the side pairing as well.

Overall, it’s a recommend from me.

Leggi di Più

The camera angle shots look too realistic for unrealistic scenes

This series has a fantastic storyline matched with decent relationship development and great main leads' background profile. This series kinda brings back my memories while I was watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Korean drama in the same Law-firm setting). The only difference is that the cases in EAW have a more detailed case-to-case scenarios. What I like in Plus & Minus is that they used the cases to have a more in-depth understanding of love. Also, I was super late and surprised that Taiwan accepts same-sex marriage. I really appreciated the last episode especially when the H3:MODC main couple appeared as guests.

The only misstep in the plots is Fu Li Kung's heartbreaking decision. Like wtf??? How can you come up with that? Can't you feel his happiness at all? Other than that, I enjoyed watching this series. The good-mood soundtracks are really catchy. Also, the fake kissing scenes looked way too good that your eyes will deceive you romantically. The appeal of the main leads is average only but they have a sweet chemistry.

Very watchable. I was surprised that it has only 7.6 overall rating. Deserves a little bit higher rating. Not as solid as my top favorites but I like it a lot. It sits at the upper half of my watched BL dramas (you can check my list at my profile for reference. as of now, it's top 23 out of 88).

Leggi di Più

Plus or a Minus

As expected, a relationship goes through a rollercoaster of ups and downs but the show remains rather predictable at most turns with family and relationship drama. I would say that the first half of the series was more watchable than the second half, where the conflict proved to be silly and frustrating.
Until it wasn't. First, the secondary couple looked like it might be interesting at first, but it was a dreary slog, with very dull acting and an uninteresting story.

It definitely lacked chemistry and spiciness the scenes they create make the viewers lose interest, from exciting to boring, it lacks drama...

Overall it is a + - to watch this drama..

Leggi di Più

Strong beginning, now slow burn...

I had high hopes for yet another Taiwanese BL series...HiStory, We Best Love...and I am not sure how I feel about this series. The story about two lawyers, a shy laundromat owner and a bar tender, with a yet unexplained sad bar owner had great potential...but it starts to look like an adaptation of Thai tropes, including the "deer cought in the head lights" kiss...the actors are good, the chemistry is undeniable, the story is about mature, working adults, but it slowed down too much to hold my interest. I have no intention to drop the series, I still really like it, but I sincerely hope for the next episodes to pick up speed.

Leggi di Più

Mid af

I have no idea how I sat through nine episodes of the most uninteresting show I’ve ever watched. I also have no idea how anyone can rate this show higher than a 3. We’ve seen this trope 9 million times, and the writers didn’t even try to add anything new to at least make the show special. The main couple had 0 chemistry and the second couple were so fawking boring, it was a pain to watch them on screen. The music kinda pissed me off a lil as well, but that’s just my personal preference. All in all, this show was too mid for y’all to be raving about it the way you are.

Leggi di Più

Lack of spiciness!!!

Although this series is ongoing I will give my review now.
So the story is about two lawyers who have been together since childhood and will soon fall in love. This series also depicts real-life situations in divorce, such as small fights between couples, domestic violence, etc., and their life revolves around divorce lawyers, friends,s and being a couple.
The second couple is a bartender and a laundromat owner (a divorced man with a daughter). their story will revolve between them and the daughter.
throughout the released episode I sense awkwardness between the couples, especially the second lead. The chemistry is not that strong but still the visual supports their chemistry.

Why lack of spiciness????
The story is exciting but the scenes they create make the viewers lose interest, from exciting to boring, it lacks drama...

With 3 upcoming episodes, let's hope that we can see improvement in the story.
P.S- I love the cameo of "Belove in house: Ido"

Leggi di Più

Strange and boring

The two ML's are both very good looking, one looks a bit like a vampire, but other than that he was still good eye candy. I can't think of anything else good to say about this drama, it is just boring!
Nothing really happens, it is just a very predictable and generic BL drama that as been made many times before but better.
The other couples storyline was even more stupid than the ML's, when they all went camping together I started to lose the will to live so I decided to drop the drama before I got a rope and a chair.
I already know how it will end because its just a regurgitated storyline on a smaller budget with worse actors

Leggi di Più

Mostly Minuses, But Not The Worst

Another story ruined by the irritating "I spoke to your family and now we cant be together" plot. "Its for your own good" plotlines rarely come across as anything but supremely irritating and this was no exception. I was okay with this show up until that point, then I began aggresively skipping and turned it up to 2x speed. I didn't even finish the episode before I had to accept that I really was too disenchanted to be bothered with the rest of the show. So, let's talk:

This show is slow. The plot is thin-- not spider silk thin, but it's not going to make you feel much. There is a gargantuan amount of fluff but with no plot to support it, it feels.....it's just missing something. I was suspicious of Yuki for almost seven episodes just because he decided he was in love out of nowhere. I was constantly looking for the additional plot in every situation only to find that it is always a matter of what you see is what you get. It is as deep as a tablespoon.

The main couple was cute up until the bullshit. The tension of "will they, wont they," was resolved in less than an episode, but the amount of emotion they resolved it with made it seem like theyd been apart for at least three (and they really should have been), so it felt a bit bizzare. I liked the side couple a decent amount despite the utter lack of....anything behind their relationship, but then they also got hit with the trope-mobile and had a misunderstanding three minutes of conversation and a five minute walk could fix. I'm being harsh, but these characters are all, presumably, close to or over 30. This shit would barely strike me as acceptable with college kids, I dont really have the tolerance for it at their ages.

The best part of this series was the cameo from Be Loved In House, and I dropped that series too, so make of that what you will. I am surprisingly disappointed with this series, most likely because the reviews implied it was much more put together. Which is why I normally ignore the reviews, but I suppose I hadn't been burned by them in awhile and forgot. There is a correct way to do slice of life and this was not it. The pacing is eclectic-- relationship things are rushed, but the surrounding plot (or lack thereof) is glacial. Characters lose or gain traits to better accommodate random conflict.

I had some good things to say about this, so I'll get to that and then wash my hands of this mess. I am always a staunch advocate for relationship building. Plus & Minus does a good job of showing the platonic bond between the main couple. They use key moments and habitual behaviors to show the weight of the years between them instead of a quick montage and, as a proud hater of montages, I really liked that.

The sets were always appealing to the eye, which matters very, very little to me, but I did notice it. I enjoyed the little things the main couple did for each other. A lot of BL make it seems like getting together is the happy ever after, or just have no idea what to do with a couple once they are together. This is not necessarily an exception, but they did cute little things for each other, and that, specifically, was nice to see.

Outside of that, nothing else stood out particularly much, definitely not enough to be worth mentioning so I guess thats it, bye.

Leggi di Più